Chautauqua Lake Ice Pick deadline moved to mid March

February 27, 2014

LAKEWOOD - The Chautauqua Lake Association has announced that the deadline for their signature fundraiser, the Chautauqua Lake Ice Pick, has been extended to the middle of March. Proceeds from the event benefit lake maintenance year-round.

The new deadline for CLIP guesses is March 15. Each guess is a $5 donation to the Chautauqua Lake Association.

"Due to the deep freezing our area has had, the ice on the lake got thicker. This allows us to push the deadline back so more people can participate," said Doug Conroe, President of the CLA. The contest is based on a successful Alaskan tradition when people waited for the ice to break on the Tanana River to signify that supplies were coming their way. Although Alaskans are no longer dependent upon the ice breaking to get supplies, the tradition is still carried on with thousands of dollars being collected for charity in the process.

"The winner will receive 25 percent of the entire jackpot," said Conroe. "The five closest contestants will each receive 5 percent of the jackpot," he said. The rest of the proceeds will go to the CLA to help keep the lake clean. Last year's event collected over $11,000 with over $5,000 directly benefiting the lake.